Drip strip



E. J. WELCH Oct. 25, 1932.

DRIP STRIP Filed Oct. 23. 1929 I72 uen l'm s Edward JWZL-h HWJ J Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED SATES EDWARD J. WELGH, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRIP STRIP Application filed October 23, 1829. Serial No.40 1,808.

My invention relates to drip strips for automobiles and the like and is designed to provide a strip which can be readily made, easily applied, and of attractive appearance ,5 when mounted on the automobile, the nails being completely covered.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is cross sectional view of the strip before it is applied.

Fig. 2 is a similar view after it is" applied.

Fig. 3 is a front View of the strip as applied, i. e. in its completed form.

The strip is formed by extruding the metal of which it is composed, i. e. aluminum, through a die. Its form as it comes from the die and before it is applied to the automobile is like that shown in Fig.1. It consists of a base 1, a gutter flange 1, and an upper flange 3, the latter being adapted to be folded down over the front face of the base after the nails have been driven into place so that said nails will be covered by this folded down flange and thus hidden from view. The base 1 is of substantial thickness from the lower end up to the point 4 where the front face. inclines rearwardly to the upper edge of the base, where a thin or weak line of metal joins the flange 3 with said upper edge of the base at part 5. The gutter flange in the blank Fig. l is of the same form as the gutter flange in the CO1I1- pleted article of Fig. 2. That is to say the relation of the gutter flange to the base is not altered during the application of the strip to the automobile. The flange 3, however, is intended to be folded down from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2, after the nails have been driven, said flange covering and hiding the nails from view. This flange is specially formed. It has a substantially flat inner surface at 6 and its edge portion 7 lies at an angle to its main portion 8, the inner face 7, i. e. the face 7a being at an angle to the substantially straight face 6.

The extreme edge of this flan e, when the same is folded down to cover the nails contacts with the front face of the lower portion of the base, leaving a space at :0 Fig. 2 where the head of the nail lies so that should this protrude slightly the covering flange will not come against it and be deformed when the flange is pressed to its final position of Fig. 2

by an anvil or block in the hand worklngman.

of the The folding takes place from the extreme upper edge of the base where the weakened line 5 occurs and the exterior of the flange 3 is provided with curved faces 8a, 3?)

which give a fluted or corrugated appearance to the.

strip, and which is accentuated when viewed the strip when viewed from the front.

These strips are placed along the upper part of the sides of the car to catch rain water and direct it to the point of discharge toward the rear of the car, and they are viewed by the observer in most instances standing at the side of the car so that from this viewpoint the gutter flange harmonizes with the curves 3a, 3b to give the general fluted effect. The flange therefore cooperates with the gated flange.

gutter corru- The metal of the strip, being aluminum, is

pliable.

The flange, when folded down, does so about the weakened line. The flange preserves its form, and remains in the position in which it is set. ing as it does against the front of the b The bent free edge, restase and without abutting against any rib or shoulder, is free and aflords accommodation for bending the strip on a curve where necessa ry, and

takes care of any tendency of the metal to wrinkle or buckle, because any wrinkles can be ironed out. The drip flange i enough to hide the lower edge of the flange. The base flange is compar s high folded ativelv thick and the drip flange as well as the foldable flange, ar of considerable thickness.

I claim: 1. An extruded soft metal drip strip a base with an upwardly extending flange at its lower end and a fold down having gutter flange at its upper end, said base being relatively thick from its lower end to a point ab level of the upper end of the gutter said flange being connected to the ba ove the se bya weakened line of metal in the base itself and in line with the under face of the flange when in initial open position, about which weakened line the flange will turn bodily without 5 deformation, said flange in folding being free from bending contact with the base intermediate the weakened line and the free edge, the root of the folded flange reaching above the plane of the weakened line to maintain 1o concealment of the same, substantially as described.

2. An extruded soft metal drip strip for automobiles comprising a base having a gutter portion at its lower end terminating in 15 an upwardly extending flange, and having a fold down flange at its upper end, said base being relatively thick from its lower end to a point above the lever of the upper end of the gutter flange from which point the front face 20" of the base inclines towards the back face thereby thinning the base progressively to the juncture of the base with the fold down flange and providing a line of weakness in line with the under face of said flange when in 26* open position, said flange turning bodily about said weakened line only and free from bending contact with the base intermediate its free edge and the weakened line.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

EDWARD J. WELCH. 

